Electric tobacco feed



Oct. 23, 1934. w. J. HAWKINS i ELECTRIC TOBACCO FEED Filed March 7. 1933 Y yENTgR a Wee 349 4 4.

J :Willbrd h me ion Is e t i r vemen i b ccl iivr d lk r t e 'e 1. m, 1i -"-t s ma n w ic b ng tosimplii'y th c nst uc ooto t ch ee th use 11 F l mn 0 2W i -01 9 9QQl i ht d um qwi th a d otheriebi t n t specifically mentioned in view; the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fullydesaibed and thcni pccifically 10 set "forth in megciaim (hereunto appended;

c c the b fsntv inve'ntio b the mid. m it a o e5.i$li t id d with r on s that an electricalchargewill be produced on its suria'ce, thisehargecausing a more or lessthick la e 1 1; t fli adh to edwm accordn; to theTdegiee or bres'sure applied to the said triction mea s, It this charge, by proper conistruction oi the drum and friction means, is made tneicrum. the adhering tobacco 1aye-wi11 be 0t ickn d mos e us' density, therebvelimiuating allparts of present tobacco feeds which are employed for, the 01' I smoothening putthe original uneven tobacco lay!- a who! i is cm a i an nrwhich like'cher as acters of reference indicate meme or'likep arts; 5 1 FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevation oi a tobacco v ed mbo x hel nr e iti v n oc; and, L

1' 8 amu emen s iw o n h Mr er of "charging the feed from ajhigh voltote t' i i y-j} t ti n manner: i

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t b r m m sou e d ami .r 1 rmr n zb sti' omn tm mmqn teml fiedi ithcgtravel ihg s f t w ims the in the v eri e or is dbe'i f io f eeutd m ana. were s I pre to V r. fi ec m te itel 'hsr incqt e cav an 4 e de m wus ab mes n el ment rubbing the'travelling surface; or ahigh potential direct current electrical circuit connected'to' the travelling turrets and including a vaa surface may 'in v riable condenser to controlthe quantity of charge on the travelling surface. In the best construc- T mmi 1m J; Hawkins; Claiborne AmerlcahMaehineavFoundx-y norationuoifNewcJel-eeym: lzflldmsrz (0L 1 31.'+39 ;r v r it ic a'con r t th Li- I b v a grounded electrically conductive plate adapted Mag- 1 r to compannltjcor toguide; thetobacco removed tromthe teed drum into a tobacco chute and discharge the tobacco tor itselectrical charge. various means and in t ma b w e va ied in c n r within thescope of thc telaims for the particular device The, invention, therefore; is not; to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described. f Referring: to Flg, 1 or the drawing, the entire tobacco teed is showntocomprise. besides the'fric- .a nd ss d e t- 3 wh hc u s dv i e 't e tobacco T in he d-m zi a feed or receiving drum 4 which asmcoth instead or a carded surface, a carded rei'user drum '5jwhi'chtrimsfdown the tobacco layer T ou'the iced drumtothe-required thickness, a picker roller e os t w iqh isr nte the h mm r and remove itfir om thehreceiving drum, and a chute 7 whichl'deliversthe uniform tobacco shower or stream T" discharged by the picker roller to the cigarette wrapper strip fed through the cigarette machine.

Thefeed drum 4 is made witha smooth surface .01 electrically hon condlicting material, such as Q oated W hla r r r b o e glass, or oi. conducting material, such as iron orother metals, provided that the latter'is well ulated from other metallic parts of the tobacco feed. t L I tion means forproducing the electric, "charge, a i o ly The frictioiif of :1 t

element 8 made of leather, vulcanized rubber, or u ls: m eria z he-g ed dmms t a preferably is coatedwith an amalgam to increase its the entir idtiij 1dr 'theieeddrum 5 and is y eldingly pressedlazainst'the druinby a row ot coil r substance vciiiferent from the non-con chargemroducingefl'ect onthe rotating surtacefot drum 4. Theiriction elementli whichis it springs lfl carried in, sockets anadjustable, bar

11 slidablelon guidefrods 12 near its ends.) The homercnas springsockets coaxial with t se of bar- ,11 and slidablyl engaging swith themg The guide rodslz to the housing 13, at mid length of thebar ll carrying an an- *s'ularly disposed screw-shalt f s engaging with a threaded lug ieerbar'iiiatne shaft 15beir g parallel, with the a i tdtw etsprinz sockets in are carried .byga base .18 attached 14 01' thetobacco i'eed thebase holder' etahd barl on screw-shaft 15 is m mma bev seari' l'l m h nswit ,a-Nb l gesrgieon alvertical shaft lii also, carried by base l3, andhavingaknob 20I afflxed toits end which projects through housing 14. By turning this knob, the motion transmitted by the bevel gears 17 and 18 will raise or lower the bar 11,

thereby compressing or releasing the springs 10 and thus adjust the pressure of the friction element 8 against the surface of the drum 4, thereby controlling the amount of charge and the resulting thickness of the tobacco layer T.

In order to discharge the tobacco stream T" of its electric charge, the plate 21, which is formed of an electrically conductive material such as metal, is disposed on the end wall of housing 14 against which the tobacco is thrown by the picker roller 6 and along which it slides into the chute '7, is grounded by a wire 22. For the same purpose, the picker roller 6 is preferably made entirely of metal and likewise connected to ground, thereby morethoroughly effecting the neutralization of the charge. If the tobacco were not de-electrified,-the charged particles would stick together in irregular formation and thus produce an uneven layer on the paper strip.

When a high potential direct current is used for imparting thev electric charge to the feed drum, the tobacco feed is still further simplified by the elimination of the friction mechanism, the arrangement then being as shown in Fig. 2. One terminal of a'c'ondenser 23, which is fed by the high-voltage circuit 24, is connected by a wire 25 to a'brush 26 sliding on a metal ring 27 insulated by means of a non-conducting bushing 28 from the shaft 29 of the feed drum. The latter, in this case, has an insulated metallic surface 30 connected by a wire 31 with the ring 2'1. The charge from the condenser 23 is communicated through wire 25,brush 26, contact ring 27, and-wire 31 to the surface 30 over which it spreads uniformly. If a variable condenser is employed, the quantity of charge on the surface 30 can be readily controlled to adjust the thickness of the tobacco layer t" on the feed drum. v

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a source of tobacco supply, of a travelling surface operative in said source, and mcansfor electrostatically charging said surface to cause it to forward tobacco from said source by adhesion.

2. The combination with a source of tobacco supply, of a travelling surface operative in said source, and means for electrostatically charging said surface to cause it toforward tobacco from said source by adhesion, said surface including the periphery of a rotatable tobacco feed drum. 9 3. The combination with a source of tobacco supply, of a travelling surface operative in said source, and means for electrostatically charging said surface to cause it toforward tobacco from said source by adhesion, said means including afriction element arranged to rub said surface.

4. The combination with a' source of tobacco supply, of 'a travelling surface operative in said source, and means for electrostatically charging said surface to cause it to forward tobacco from said source by adhesion, said means including adirect current high potential electrical circuit connected to said surface.

5. The combination with a rotatable tobacco feed drum, of means for electrostatically charging the periphery of said drum to cause a layer of tobacco to adhere thereto, a chute arranged ,to deliver tobacco on a cigarette wrapper strip, a grounded electrically conductive plate adapted to guide tobacco into said chute, and a rotatable picker roll for removing the tobacco from said drum and throwing it against said plate, whereby the electrical charge is removed from the tobacco, as it is guided into said chute by said plate.

6. The combination with a rotatable tobaccofeed drum, of means for electrostatically charging the periphery of said drum to cause a layer of tobacco to adhere thereto, a chute arranged to deliver tobacco on a cigarette wrapper strip, a grounded electrically conductive plate adapted to guide tobacco into said chute, and a rotatable picker roll for removing the tobacco from said drum and throwing it against said plate, whereby the electrical charge is removed from the tobacco, as it is guided into said chute by said plate,

said picker roll being formed entirely of metal.

7. The combination with a tobacco feed drum, of means for electrostatically charging the periphery of said drum to cause a layer of tobacco to adhere thereto, said means including a high potential direct current electrical circuit connected to theperiphery of said drum, and said circuit including a variable condenser to control the quantity of charge on the periphery of said drum.

8. Ihe combination with a tobacco feed drum, of means for electrostatically charging the periphery of said drum to cause a layer of tobacco to adhere thereto, said means including a friction element engaging the periphery of said drum.

9. In a cigarette machine feed, the combination with a rotatable feed drum, of means for electrostatically charging the periphery of said drum to cause a layer of tobacco to adhere thereto, a feed belt for advancing tobacco to said drum, a carded refuser drum for removing excess tobacco in the layer adhering to said drum, and a picker roll for removing the layer of tobacco adhering to said drum. I

10. In a cigarette machine feed, the combina tion with a rotatable feed drum, of means for electrostatically charging the periphery of said drum to cause a layer of tobacco to adhere thereto, a feed belt for advancing tobacco to said drum, a carded refuser drum for removing excess tobacco in the layer adhering to said drum, and 120 a picker roll for removing the layer of tobacco adhering to said drum, said means including'a friction element engaging the periphery of said drum. I

11. In a cigarette machine feed, the combina- 125 tion with a rotatable feed drum, of means for electrostatically charging theperiphery of said drum to cause a layer of tobacco to adhere thereto, a feed belt for advancing tobacco to said drum, a carded refuser drum for removing excess tobacco in the layer adhering to'said drum, and a picker roll for removing the layer of tobacco adhering to said drum, said means including a yieldably and adjustably mounted friction element engaging the periphery of said drum.

12. In a cigarette machine feed, the combination with -a rotatable feed drum, of means for electrostatically charging the periphery of said drum to cause a layer of tobacco to adhere thereto, a feed belt for advancing tobacco to said drum, 140 a carded refuser drum for removing excess tobacco in the layer adhering to said drum, and a picker roll for removing the layer of tobacco adhering to said drum, said means including a high potential direct current electric circuit con- 145 nected to the periphery of said drum.

wmoan J. HAWKINS. 

